Songwriting tilt for the Quadricentennial celebration

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) has launched a song writing contest which aims to come up with a banner song as part of the university’s grand quadri-centennial celebration in 2011.

According to the UST’s Office of Public Affairs, the contest will be open to all Thomasians: Alumni, faculty members and students including immediate family members of Thomasians. However, members of the Screening Committee are disqualified from entering the contest.

Ms. Giovanilla Fontanilla, UST Office of Public Affairs chief, said that each entry may be individually or collaboratively authored. However, she said, that only one prize will be awarded in case of collaborative composition.

“But each participant may submit as many entries as they can,” Fontanilla said.

Fontanilla said mechanics of the contest include:

- The theme of the song must contain the idea of the university as it celebrates its Qudricenennial.

- The duration of the song must at least two minutes but not exceed three minutes.

- The song may be English or Filipino

- The song must be certified original by the contestant. UST shall not be held liable should complaints due to similarities or likeness of the song arise. The contestant has the sole responsibility to prove its authenticity

- Submitted entries must be sung by a solo singer/artist with ourwithout instrumental accompaniment

- Contestants must fill out an application form and shall submit one (1) recent 2”x2” colored photo. Application form may be obtained from the Office of Public Affairs or may be downloaded from the UST website: http://www.ust.edu.ph/

Fontanilla said that entries must be submitted in CD format together with hard copies of the lyrics and the accomplished application form In sealed brown envelopes. She added that contestants may also send their entries via email provided that they indicate their name, address and contact number.

Fontanilla said that submission of entries is from August 17, 2009 to November 5, 2009 at the Office of Public Affairs or at opa@mnl.ust.edu.ph. International and regional entries, meanwhile, may be submitted through mail or courier and must be postmarked on or before November 5, 2009.She said that criteria for judging will be 70 percent for music and 30 percent for lyrics.

“The Screening Committee shall choose five finalists who will be informed through courier or email on November 15, 2009. The finalists will then choose their own interpreters, preferably professional singers,” Fontanilla said.

Fontanilla said the Grand Finals will be held on December 10, 2009 at the UST Medicine Auditorium with the Grand prize winner taking home P150, 000, second place winner P100, 000 and third place winner P75, 000. A consolation prize of P20, 000 will also be given to the non winners.Fontanilla also added that submitted entries shall become the property of the university. (Francis T. Wakefield)

UST Singers win international competition

The UST Singers capped their 17th international concert tour by winning major awards in the recent 2nd Californian International Choral Competition last June 25-29 at San Obispo, California.

Besting choirs from the United States, Macedonia, Africa, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, UST’s premier choral ensemble bagged two first-prize awards for the Required Pieces and Folklore categories, respectively and the People’s Choice awards, which the audience chose as the best choir in the four-day event held at the 1,200 capacity San Luis Performing Arts Center.

The UST Singers performed "Alles was odem hat lobe denn Herrn" from the motette Singet dem Herrn by JS Bach, and "Ave Maria "by Los Angeles Basedd composer Morten Lauridsen and Numerations"" by Lithuanian composer Jonas Tamoluionis in the Required Pieces category.

In the Folklore category, the Thomasian ensemble sang its conductor Fidel Calalang, Jr.’s composition Ayug ti Amianan (Scenes from the North), in three parts, the last being a series of variations on the Igorot song Chua-Ay. Also in the repertoire are two choral arrangements of Calalang’s "Waray-waray" and "Tirindingding".

The UST Singers began their 17th international concert tour from May 7 to July 12, covering key cities in the United States like New York, Las Vegas, Portland, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver, Washington, Honolulu and Seattle.

Founded by Calalang (the head of the Conducting Department and a music instructor at the UST Conservatory of Music) in 1993, the 26-man UST Singers are composed of students and alumni from different colleges and faculties in UST and have garnered over 45 top awards in various international choral competitions. In 1995, it became the only Asian choir to win the Choir of the World Grand Prize held in Wales, UK. It also topped the International Choral Competitions in Gorizi, Italy and Monster, Netherlands in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

The UST Singers had also been invited to sing in different choral festivals in France, Spain, Taiwan, Scotland, Germany and Mexico. They have graced the presence of several dignitaries like Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia of Spain, the Princess of Thailand, Presidents Diosdado Macapagal, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the late tenor Lucianno Pavarotti.

This new video was launched at our recent fund-raising titled "Rakrakan at Rampahan 2" last July 30, 2009 at the Makuhari Bar in Malate. Thomasian personality winners showed off creations from Leucqar at SM City The Block. The event was co-sponsored by Tiger Pack and other alumni.